In order to provide telephone service for local distribution (such as an individual home) it is necessary to tap into a multiconductor telecommunications cable. Currently the telephone industry uses terminal blocks which permit the connection of conductors of the multiconductor telecommunications cable to drop wires which establish electrical service directly to local distribution.
One example of a type of terminal block which may be used in the telecommunications industry for establishing telephone service is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,966, issued Feb. 19, 1991 to Levy entitled "Electrical Connector Block", which is incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 herein, terminal block 10 is used to connect drop wire 12 to a stub cable 14. The stub cable 14 is connected to a multiconductor telecommunications cable (not shown), while the drop wires 12 lead to the individual subscriber premises.
Terminal block 10 includes an elongate housing 16, typically formed of molded plastic. Housing 16 is generally rectangular in shape, having an elongate planar surface 18 and a depending perimetrical skirt 20 therearound. Planar surface 18 includes a plurality of circular apertures 22 extending therethrough. Apertures 22 are positioned in two staggered longitudinally extending rows. An annular wall 24 extending upwardly from planar surface 18 surrounds each circular aperture 22.
Housing 16 further supports in each circular aperture 22 an electrical terminal module 30. Electrical connection is established between stub cable 14 and drop wire 12 using terminal module 30. Terminal module 30 supports first and second electrical connection elements 31, portions of which extend above and below planar surface 18, in a manner fully described in the ,966 patent In order to protect the connection of stub cable 14 to terminal modules 30, the rear of housing 16 is filled with a self-hardening insulating medium or potting compound 25. This potting compound 25 is poured in a liquid state into the inverted housing 16 and is then left to cure or harden, completely encapsulating the connection of stub cable 14 to terminal modules 30.
The terminal block 10 may then be supported in an appropriate enclosure which suitably protects terminal block 10 from the outdoor environment. One such enclosure used for mounting the terminal block to a utility pole is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,079. Another enclosure which is used to suspend the terminal block from overhead telecommunication cables is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,605,815.
In order to secure terminal block 10 to a flat surface of either enclosure, it is necessary to include mounting apertures 32 and 34 in terminal block 10 to permit insertion of a screw or other fastening member which securely attaches the terminal block to a surface of the enclosure.
While adequately providing securement for such terminal blocks, apertures 32 and 34 placed in the housing 16 are required to be blocked or otherwise damned to prevent the aperture from being filled by potting compound 25 when it is poured into inverted housing 16. This necessitates more complicated and expensive tooling for forming housing 16. Also, once the aperture are placed in a given position on terminal block 10 may be attached to a surface of the enclosure.
It is desirable to provide simplified mounting hardware which will permit more efficient mounting of an electrical terminal block to a surface of a terminal block enclosure.